The Opelousas courier., 1887-11-12

hSOA SAL- II Jott niLINi,f III
low me to answer through the
columns of your paper a letter
just received upon a matter Of
public interest? | think it may
serve to correct certain misap-
prehensions in regard to the OBJ
,jects and aims of the prohibition
movement in this State OH the
part of others beside the in-
dividual whose letter is answer
ed and whose name | withhold
as a-matter of courtesy.
Very truly yours,
WILMOT lei. GOODALE.
BATON ROUGE, Oct. 4, 1887.
Dear Sir-Your favor of the
Both ult., is at hand, in which
you desire my counsel as to the
expectancy of offering a prohi-
bition candidate at the approach
ing congressional election in
this the Sixth District as a coup
d'6tat.
[ persume that, notwithstand-
ing the fact that your letter is
directed to me personally and
not officially, yet its being ad-
dressed to me rather than to any
other person is, no doubt, due
to my position as chairman of
the Prohibition Executive Com
mittee of the State of Louisiana.
The letter has, therefore, an Of
fetal character, and in ansEer-
ing it, I will endeavoF to speak
not merely for myself, but alsof or
the Prohibitionists of the State,
so far, at least, as they have
been represented in the conven-
tons heretofore held.
You speak Of "offering a Pro-
hibition candidate as a coup
G6tat." [ infer that you regard
the time as favorable for sach a
movement that, very likely,
such a candidate, wisely chosen,
might draw from the disafected
of the two factions into which
the Democratic party is unfor-
tunately divided, and, perhaps,
from the republicans a sufficient
support to secure his election.
I will not discuss this point, for,
even if | were fully assured that
such would be the case, my con-
clusionNin ahe premises would
not 10 affected by the certainty
Of the result.
So far as understand the
prohibition Sentiment of the
Louisiana people to-day, and
most certainly so far as it found
expression at the convention
held in Alexandria, in August
last, it is strictly non-partisan,
indeed as strictly non-partisan
as non-sectarian.
AT this convention the follow.
ing resolution was unanimously
adopted, as expressive of the
prevailing sentiment upon this
point:
Resolved, that we recognize
the fact that this movement is
not in the interest Of any party
or organization, nor to serve any
private or personal ends, anC
that we therefore adhere to the
non-partisan method, and ask
our friends to keep clear Of all
partisan political entanglements
You will see, therefore, thai
our attitude as Prohibitionists
is not one of hostility to exist
ing political parties, and hence
there is no necessity for or pro
priety in a " coup d'etat.'
Permit me rather, to sugges
that the proper and most efec
tual way to secure the election
to office of men favorable to the
cause of Prohibition will bt
found to be by putting such me-
in nomination in the regula
manner through the ordinar,
channels of existing parties, ant
then working earnestly and 10y
ally for their election. No man
III am sure, should, under on
form Of organization at least, b
less, but rather more loyal t.
the political party Of his choic
for being a prohibitionist.
The political party which ha
, lately come into being in th
, Northern States, known as th
Z Prohibition Party" thong
aiming to accomplish the sam
ultimate results, is yet entirel,
, disconnected from the movement
iii the South, and | feel sure tina
lit is the sentiment of the vas
majority Of the Prohibitionist
!, of Louisiana that this distint
ton should be maintained.
, If it be true, as our friends j
= q %b;rd rnrtv1 oonrfonf ri